MIT's new Publishing Services Bureau officially opened for business this week in its temporary location, Rm 5-133. Until next week, the phone number is x3-2697. After that, the permanent number will be x8-9380. The e-mail address is bureau@mit.edu>.
The Bureau's role is to assist offices and departments with print and electronic publishing activities. The staff will serve as advisors and brokers between MIT customers and outside service providers.
In the last few months, while the Bureau's staff was being hired, transition teams in Graphic Arts and Design Services helped MIT customers with their publishing projects. Those teams have now turned jobs in progress over to the Bureau staff, as well as job information, film and negatives from previous projects. Outside vendors who have been working with the transition groups also have been notified of the changeover to the Bureau.
In the first six months of the Bureau's operation, the staff will negotiate partnership arrangements with vendors such as printing companies and design firms, according to director Bruce Bernstein. A major goal for the Bureau is to reduce the overall costs of Institute publications through volume discounts with a smaller number of vendors than MIT used in the past.
In addition, Bureau staff will work with MIT publishers to help them improve the effectiveness of their print and electronic communications by developing a communications audit and a publications plan.
More information on the background and expertise of the Bureau staff will be presented in a future MIT Tech Talk.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on February 5, 1997.
